Austin Community College District (ACC) is set to become a hub of semiconductor workforce training with the help of a substantial cash injection courtesy of Rep. Lloyd Doggett. In a visit on Thursday, August 29, Doggett announced a new $1.5 million in congressional funding to bolster ACC’s semiconductor programs. The announcement took place at the Highland Campus in the NXP Advanced Manufacturing Lab, according to a statement obtained by the ACC Newsroom.
With the semiconductor industry staring down a significant workforce gap, the new funding will allow ACC’s Advanced Manufacturing Department to acquire semiconductor subsystems and upgrade facilities, which will enhance their current training programs and develop new ones. As working to remain at the semiconductor industry’s forefront, Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, ACC Chancellor, believes in democratizing access to skills development for all educational backgrounds. He told the ACC Newsroom, "The new landscape of higher education is going to take anyone, at any stage in their career or education development, whether they have a GED or need one, or they have a master’s degree in philosophy. Everyone’s going to need access to new skills."
Flagged as a crucial investment in both local workforce and national security by Rep. Doggett, funding is earmarked to reflect modern semiconductor processes at ACC. The representative highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in these endeavors. “This funding will help ACC reflect the capabilities of modern semiconductor processes and meet the industry and workforce needs. We are building capacity that is (a) vital national security application. It will put food on the table for Central Texas families and provide the opportunity for one family after another here because of getting a great ACC education” Doggett said, as stated by the ACC Newsroom.
The funding arrives at a pivotal time, considering federal data projects a 33% increase in semiconductor industry jobs by 2030, with the potential for 60% of these positions to remain unfilled. The issue is especially acute for technicians with certificates or two-year degrees, who are expected to represent 39% of this workforce shortage. ACC's Advanced Manufacturing Program proactively addresses this gap with its variety of educational pathways, from a Certified Production Technician (CPT) program to a Bachelor of Applied Technology in Manufacturing Engineering Technology degree. Dr. Lowery-Hart accentuates this forward-thinking approach, expressing that ACC's partnerships bring not just knowledge but the power to navigate a future "we don’t even, fully understand yet," per his interview with the ACC Newsroom.
